Pulse Disturbance Weighting Rectifier

ABSTRACT

A rectifier circuit used for weighting pulse disturbances in relation to the influence thereof on digital radio systems, comprising a cascade circuit of an effective value rectifier and a linear average rectifier, wherein a peak value rectifier is arranged upstream from the effective value rectifier.

The invention relates to a detector circuit for weighting impulsive disturbances in relation to their influence on digital radio systems according to the preamble of the main claim.

A weighting detector of this type is known from DE 101 26 830 A1. It is also already known from DE 101 26 830 A1 to use a peak detector instead of the rms (root mean square) detector. Although these known weighting detectors take into account the profile of the weighting curve above and below the cut-off frequency, which for GSM for example is 1 kHz, it has been found that some measured pulse disturbance weighting profiles have a flat profile at high pulse repetition frequencies and only at relatively low pulse repetition frequencies pass into a profile which rises by approximately 10 dB/decade. Pulse disturbance weighting profiles of this type are therefore not optimally weighted by these known weighting detectors.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a weighting detector for impulsive disturbance of the type mentioned at the outset which correctly weights impulsive disturbances not only above and below the recognized cut-off frequency but also at high pulse repetition frequencies.

Starting from a detector circuit according to the preamble of the main claim, this object is achieved by the characterizing features of said claim. Advantageous developments may be inferred from the sub-claims.

The combination in accordance with the invention of the two known measures of the type mentioned at the outset allows correct weighting even at high pulse repetition frequencies, for example impulsive disturbances above 100 kHz.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail using an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is the basic circuit diagram of a detector circuit according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows the weighting factor as a function of the pulse repetition frequency f_(p) of a rectifier circuit according to FIG. 1 for various pulse widths W_(p).

FIG. 1 is the basic circuit diagram of a weighting detector according to the invention. The high-repetition frequency impulsive disturbance to be examined is supplied via an antenna, arranged for example in proximity to a motor vehicle to be examined, to a receiver E, where it is converted into an intermediate frequency and detected. The envelope thus obtained of the high-repetition frequency impulsive disturbance is then supplied to the weighting detector itself which, in accordance with the invention, consists of a first peak detector PK1, a subsequent RMS detector RMS and a linear average detector AV.

The peak detector PK1 has a maximum measurement time T₁=1/f_(c1), f_(c1) being between 10 kHz and 500 kHz, preferably 100 kHz.

The subsequent rms detector RMS is limited, in relation to the integration time T₂ thereof as a function of the cut-off frequency f_(c2), to T₂=1/f_(c2). For GSM, for example, the cut-off frequency f_(c2) is 1 kHz; below this frequency, the rms detector weights the impulsive disturbances excessively highly, as is described in detail in DE 101 26 830 A1. For GSM, the cut-off frequency f_(c2) is approximately between 0.5 and 2 kHz. However, it has also already been ascertained that this cut-off frequency can be as low as 5 Hz. The preferably utilized cut-off frequency of 1 kHz entails an integration time of 1 ms.

The rms detector RMS weights the rms value of the impulsive disturbances in successive packets having the duration of the integration time. These rms value packets are then averaged in the linear average detector AV. This linear average detector operates below the cut-off frequency f_(c2), so overall a weighting curve according to FIG. 2 is achieved.

FIG. 2 shows the weighting factor in dB as a function of the pulse repetition frequency f_(p) for various pulse widths W_(p). A cascade circuit according to the invention therefore corresponds closely to the theoretically recognized weighting curve and thus avoids erroneous weightings. The peak detector PK1 weights the impulsive disturbances above the cut-off frequency f_(c1) with 0 dB/decade; the subsequent rms detector RMS has a weighting curve rate of rise of approximately 10 dB/decade. The ensuing linear average detector AV has a weighting curve having a rate of rise of approximately 20 dB/decade and these three curves together thus correspond approximately to the desired weighting curve. A further peak detector PK2 can be arranged in a manner known per se at the output of the average detector AV having a time constant in accordance with the CISPR Standard, as is described in detail in DE 101 26 830. The time constant of the linear average detector AV is at least 100 ms in accordance with the CISPR Standard. That which is described in DE 101 26 830 A1 also applies in this regard. It must merely be ensured that the measurement time of the linear average detector is greater than the measurement time T₂ of the rms detector. 

1. Detector circuit for weighting of impulsive disturbances in relation to their influence on digital radio systems, comprising a cascade circuit of an rms detector, a linear average detector, and a first peak detector is arranged upstream of the rms detector.
 2. Detector circuit according to claim 1, wherein an integration time T₂ of the rms detector is limited to a value T₂=1/f_(c2), f_(c2) being the cut-off frequency below which the rms detector weights the impulsive disturbances excessively highly.
 3. Detector circuit according to either claim 1, wherein a maximum measurement time T₁ of the peak detector is T₁=1/f_(c1), f_(c1) being the cut-off frequency above which the impulsive disturbance weighting profile is to be constant.
 4. Detector circuit according to either claim 2, wherein for weighting of disturbances for protecting GSM systems, the cut-off frequency is selected between 5 Hz and 2 kHz.
 5. Detector circuit according to claim 1, wherein a second peak detector is arranged at an output of the linear average detector having a time constant in accordance with the CISPR Standard.
 6. Detector circuit according to claim 1, wherein the rms, linear average, and first peak detectors connected in cascade are digital circuits.
 7. Detector circuit of claim 4, wherein the cut-off frequency is 1 kHz.
 8. Detector circuit of claim 5, wherein the rms, linear average, first peak, and second peak detectors are digital circuits. 